Alarm system



May 11, 1937. B. F. KUNKEL ALARM SYSTEM Filed Feb. 18, 1935 Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALARM SYSTEM Illinois Application February 18, 1935, Serial No. 6,947

2 Claims.

This invention relates to alarm devices and more particularly to alarm devices for use in banks and similar institutions where it is desirable that the cashier or any individual provided with the proper equipment may cause the alarm mechanism to be energized.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alarm system in which the system may be energized to transmit alarms without noticeable movement of the operator and in which the operator may cause various alarm devices to be energized from desired predetermined locations.

A further object is the provision of an electrical alarm system which may be controlled by an operator by abnormal but substantially unnoticeable movement of the operator.

It is also an object to provide an efiective alarm system in which various interdependent control devices are automatically operable to cause certain alarms to be effected and to permit repetition of the alarms under the control of one or more operators and from predetermined, remote locations.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of the complete alarm system; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the contactmaking belt used in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the embodiment illustrated comprises a belt I which is arranged to be worn about the body, the ends of the belt being secured in the usual manner by means of a buckle or other securing device 2. The belt may be provided with an elastic portion 3 by which it may be snugly fitted to the body of the wearer and further expanded by abnormal expansion'of the body. A strap 4 is secured to the belt at one side of the elastic portion 3 and its 7 free end is provided with a loop 5 by which it is slidably mounted on the belt.

An electrical circuit terminal 6 is secured to the inner side of the belt, as indicated, and a second terminal I is secured to the outside of the strap 4 and in a position to normally be out of contact with the terminal 6 when the belt is applied snugly to the body. The terminals 6 and l are provided with conductors 8 and 9, respectively, which may be supported by the belt in any suitable manner and connected to terminal contact plates Ill and H which latter are arranged to be secured to the feet of the operator. The contact plates l0' and Il may be secured to any desired part of the soles of the shoes but are preferablymounted on the heels. Spaced floor plates l2 and I3 may be positioned in any desired. location and spaced in such a manner that the heel plates l0 and II will make effective electrical contact therewith when the operator stands thereon in a normal position.

The device is particularly adaptable for use in banks and similar institutions and when so used it is preferable to provide an insulating mat M in which the plates l2 and I3 are embedded and which may be so located that the heel plates and floor plates are in contact when the operator stands in a normal position back of the usual cage window. It will be apparent that other plates similar to l2 and I3 may be located adjacent counters or cash registers or any suitable predetermined location.

Conductors 15 are connected to the floor plates as illustrated, and, together with the circuit ar- M rangement worn by the operator, provide a primary circuit in which is included a suitable power source l6 such as a battery, and a relay I1. The relay is provided with the usual circuit closing armature l8 by the operation of which a secondary circuit comprising conductors l9 and associated branches are connected to any suitable electric power source. The conductors [9 are electrically connected to a distributing panel 26 which is provided with a plurality of outlets of the ordinary type preferably arranged to receive suitable connector caps 2| having the usual extension cords associated therewith whereby any desired electrically operated device may be remotely controlled from the secondary circuit. r;

The extension cords may be connected to any desired devices such as a camera 22 in which the shutter may be of the usual electrically operated type, and a gas gun. 23, and it will be obvious that any other desired electrically operated device may be connected to this panel for electrical control in the usual manner.

It will be apparent that when the operator is standing on the plates l2 and I3 and closes the belt contacts 6 and l by an abnormal expansion operated in the usual manner by means of a motor arranged to drive the table through a shaft 26. The motor is connected to the secondary circuit l9 through a transformer 21 as illustrated.

The phonograph is provided with the usual tone arm 28 pivoted at 29 and provided with a suit able horn 30. A telephone transmitter 3| is mounted adjacent the horn 36 whereby any signals produced by the phonograph may be transmitted to a central station through an ordinary telephone circuit comprising conductors 32. A normally open switch is connected in the telephone circuit and may comprise an equivalent of the usual spring pressed telephone hook 33 arranged to close the circuit when released.

In the present embodiment the hook 33, or a suitable equivalent, may be provided with a pin 34 arranged to be normally engaged by a spring pressed latch 35 whereby the switch is normally retained in open position. The motor 25 is provided with a speed reducing mechanism 36 arranged to drive a cam 37 through a shaft 38. It will be apparent that when the motor 25 is started by closing the secondary circuit in the manner previously described. the cam 31, which is positioned adjacent the latch 35, will engage and move the latch 35 to release the hook 33 and the transmitter circuit will thereby be closed. Simultaneously with the starting of the motor the phonograph will operate to transmit an alarm to the central station. The phonograph may be provided with any suitable record 39 and also with a repeating device of any well known type which latter is used to automatically bring the sound box and tone arm 28 back to its initial position after the record has been played. It will be apparent that any suitable record repeating device may be used in this connection. The

40 embodiment illustrated, however, comprises a substantially fiat member 4| adapted to rest on the top of the record and is provided with a spiral groove 48 and a transverse slot 42, the. stylus being adapted to pass through the slot while the record is being played and to be returned to its initial position by means of the spiral groove 4|.

It is desirable to stop the phonograph after the record has been played and the tone arm returned to its initial position. A branch circuit is therefore provided comprising conductors 43 connected to the main secondary circuit conductors l9. This branch circuit includes an electromagnet or solenoid 44 arranged to move the relay latch I80: and permit the armature I8 to return to its initial open position and thereby open the secondary circuit and stop the phonograph motor 25. Another electromagnet 45 is also provided in the circuit 43 and positioned adjacent the telephone hook or switch member 33 whereby, when the branch circuit 43 is closed the hook 33 will be returned to its initial position to open the telephone circuit 32 after the alarm has been transmitted. A normally opened switch 46 is positioned above the hook member 33 as illustrated and in series with a similar normally closed switch 41, the latter switch 47 being normally held in the closed position as illustrated by means of the tone arm 28. The switches 46 and 47 are in serics in the branch circuit 43 and therefore it is necessary that both of these switches should be closed in order to simultaneously reset the relay ii and the hook arm 33 after the record is played.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The operator stands upon the plates l2 and |3 mitter circuit to the central station and the recorded alarm will be transmitted. The switch 46 will be closed by the upward movement of the hook 33 and will remain closed during the transmission of the alarm. However, the solenoids 44 and 45 will not be energized as the position of the hook releasing cam 31 is so related to the movement of the tone arm 28 that the arm 28 will start its inward movement and permit the switch 41 to open before the switch 46 is closed by the hook. Therefore the hook 33, after being 13 released, will remain in its raised position and retain the switch 46 closed. The closing of the switch 46 alone will not energize the branch circuit 43 due to the fact that the switch 41 associated with the tone arm has been released by the inward movement of the arm. The starting portion of the recording groove of the. phonograph may be arranged to rapidly move the tone arm during the first movement of the record if desired so that the switch 41 is quickly opened. The switch 46 will remain closed until the tone arm 28 is returned by the repeating device to the initial position illustrated. This return of the. tone arm 28 will close the switch 41, and, as the switch 46 is already closed, the relay solenoid 44, i

and the telephone hook solenoid 45, will be energized and the secondary circuit will be broken simultaneously with the return of the hook member 33 to its initial position illustrated. The return of the hook member 33 to this initial position will automatically permit the switch 48 to open. All of the operating parts of the device will then be in their initial position and the entire operation may be repeated by again closing the belt contacts 6 and I.

The primary circuit l6 may be closed by other contact devices if desired which may be variously positioned. For instance, a cash register 48 may be provided with contacts whereby any abnormal operation will cause the primary circuit to be closed. The cash drawer 49 may be provided with an insulated metal lug 5G and associated contacting terminals 5| and 52 may be mounted on a stationary part of the base of the cash register. The contact member 52 is fixed in position as illustrated and the member 5| is pivoted at 53 and yieldably retained in the position shown by means of a spring 54. In the normal operation of the cash register the drawer 49 is stopped in its outward movement by the lug 56 engaging the yielding lug 5|, and the spring 54 is sufliciently strong to ordinarily prevent the further opening of the drawer. However, when the drawer 49 is suddenly pulled open by more than the ordinary force applied thereto, the drawer moves outwardly until the lug 56 passes over the yielding lug 5| and is engaged between the two contacts as illustrated in dotted lines thereby closing the primary circuit. One or more switches may also be provided and located as desired in order that the primary circuit may be controlled thereby.

Although the drawing is substantially entirely diagrammatic and the parts are not shown closely assembled, it will be understood that in the usual construction all of the alarm mechanism may be contained in a single small box or casing, which may be placed in any convenient location and the various circuit conductors be connected thereto.

The belt may be any suitable type of harness arranged to cause the contacts to close by abnormal expansion of the abdomen or chest.

It will be apparent that the alarm system disclosed herein may have a short wave radio transmitter associated therewith whereby the alarm may be transmitted to police squad cars simultaneously with the transmission of the alarm over a telephone circuit; that is, the telephone transmitter may be replaced by a radio microphone or both may be used if desired.

Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an alarm device a normally open power circuit, an electrical phonograph having a motor operably connected to said power circuit, a normally open telephone circuit for transmitting signals from said phonograph, a branch circuit connected to said power circuit, a normally closed switch in said branch circuit and constructed and arranged to be opened by the starting operation of said phonograph and closed by said phonograph after a signal is sent, a normally open switch in said branch circuit, a normally open switch in said telephone circuit, means controlled by said motor for closing both of said last named switches after said first switch is opened, and electrical means in said branch circuit for substantially simultaneously opening said telephone circuit and said branch circuit and opening said power circuit.

2. An alarm device of the character described comprising a normally open control circuit, a normally open power circuit, a repeating electrical phonograph having a motor operable by said power circuit, a telephone circuit for transmitting signals from said phonograph, a normally open switch in said telephone circuit, a reproducer automatically movable in two directions during operation of said phonograph, a normally open branch circuit connected to said power circuit, a normally closed switch in said branch circuit and constructed and arranged to be opened by the movement of said reproducer in one direction and closed by the movement in the opposite direction, a second switch normally open in said branch circuit, means controlled by said motor for closing said normally open branch circuit switch and said telephone circuit switch, and electrical means in said branch circuit to open said branch circuit and said telephone circuit and said primary circuit when both said branch circuit switches are closed.

BERNHARD F. KUNKEL. 

